By Rachel Lippmann, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Ameren Corporation has announced a leadership change.
Thomas Voss, the current head of the Missouri utility AmerenUE, will take over as president and CEO of the entire company on May 1st. He replaces Gary Rainwater, who has led Ameren Corporation for five years. Rainwater will remain with the company.
Juli Niemann, an analyst with Smith Moore and Company, says Voss has a good reputation in the industry - helpful for a company that has struggled with regulatory and risk management issues.
"Moreover, the next person moving up, Warner Baxter, is a very tough financial person, and I think that orientation is much needed as well," Niemann said. Baxter will replace Voss as the head of AmerenUE.
AmerenUE spokeswoman Susan Gallagher says the company's board felt it was a good time to implement a succession plan that Rainwater and the board had drafted over the past year. She says Voss is unlikely to make major changes.
"He's very enthusiastic about the success of the company, we're well-positioned to move forward with the company in terms of strategies," Gallagher said.
Ameren Corp serves 2.4 million customers in Missouri and Illinois.